Fly bites so bad I had to call the vet! (long)

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Frances28

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Yesterday my TB mare came in from the field covered, and I mean COVERED, with fly/mosquito bits. Her whole face is full of different sized bites oozing with yellow serum and blood. Her whole body is covered with 50p size bits. She had a mask and sheet on but I think maybe one got trapped and went to work on her.

After sobbing my eyes out I got a grip and gave bathed her, Aloe Vera and udder creme and some Piraton antihistamine and kept her in over night.

Today has not been a good day.

I got a call from the YO saying my horse has got worse over night and her legs are completely swollen with puss dripping down them.

I called out the vet who has given her a course of Penicillin and Bute. He said the bites were pretty impressive.

Have any of you guys experienced this to this extreme? I would really really appreciate to hear your experiences so I am not the only one. I am just so worried about my angel.

I am keeping her in her stable for the next couple of days but that won't do the swelling any good. Plus do I keep her fly sheet on her or off?!?!
 
I would check you haven't got a hornets' nest near the field, as we had this happen several times a few years back. The damage they inflict and the size of the stings is horrible. Get a fly rug and stick it on and that will protect the horse from future bites, there is other way other than keep it inside until they have gone for the winter.
We found our nests and burned them out, and since have not had any problems, I bet they are the culprits..
 
i think you've done the right thing. i think i would probably try and keep the rug on whilst in the stable to prevent any more bites... so long as it doesnt cause discomfort by sitting on the bites that are already there? good luck xx
 
My horse is getting the same sort of bites, big and round all over his face even with protection, Ive just got a full face mask for him, but i dont know whats biting, he had abot 15 yesterday and all oozing yellow gunk
 
So sorry to hear about your poor mare. Mine suffers a similar problem although not to the degree yours does. I have to turn her out in one particular paddock with two fly rugs on to stop the flies biting through. I have got a Mark Todd fly rug as well which is excellent as it has a tummy flap and I do try to keep her completely covered. What part of the country are you in?

I wipe/rub my mares face with sensitive baby wipes to remove the pusy spots and then put a special cream on her face that my vet gave me, then her fly mask. On her legs and heels I do the same or wash and dry them, put sudo cream on and nettex fly repellent. I have to check her over throughly evey day and I for one can't wait for the fly season to be over!
 
leave rug off so it does not rub the other bites. turn out at night and leave her in in the day. plaster face and ears in vasaline with tea tree oil in it then fly spray the whole with fly spray and see how that goes. the reason i say keep the rug of as well is coz if flys get under neath it they will just keep on biting if she has no rug on the wind can blow the flys away and i say use tea tree and vasaline is coz tea tree is soothind anti-fugal and a fly repallant and vasaline is brill cause all creepy crawlys can not bite through it!
 
i would definatley keep her in during the day. i hate flies too as my horse has really bad ones on her face that have taken months to heal as she kept rubbing them every time they started to heal. found the best thing was the seal and heal spray as it kept the wounds clean and the flies off i would also recomend the cashel crusader fly mask etc expensive but good. hope she is more comfortable soon.
 
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